The Steel Guitar Forum

Seems I remember Charlie Daniels producing The Youngbloods and others of that era. Was he a house producer for Columbia? Anyone know his early credits?

He was a sideman for Columbia's in house producer Bob Johnston.
This meant that he got to play on sessions for Flatt & Scruggs, Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen.
He also did a stint with Cohens live band circa 1970-1971.

His early production work included a 1969-1970 album that never was for Roy Buchanan, some of which was issued on the compilation "Sweet Dreams: The Anthology" from 1992.

He produced the Youngbloods 1969 album 'Elephant Mountain, while Youngblood Jerry Corbitt got Daniels to produce his solo albums in the early 1970s, Charlie also got Corbitt to appear on Daniel's 1970 debut album.

Daniels sideman sessions include:
Bob Dylan Nashville Skyline (1969)
Bob Dylan New Morning (1970) Bob Dylan Self Portrait (1970)
Bob Dylan Dylan (1973) *from 1970 sessions
Al Kooper I Stand Alone (1969)
Al Kooper Easy Does It (1970)
All these featured Daniels doubling on bass and guitar.
He also played guitar on Ringo Starr's second solo album "Beaucoups of Blues" from 1970.

He did sessions for Flatt & Scruggs, when they split he played on some Earl Scruggs Revue sessions (fiddle I think?) as well as producing the debut album by Gary & Randy Scruggs, titled "All the Way Home" from 1970.
I'm sure there is more, but that's about all I know.

He also produced and played on Roy Buchanan's early stuff.

Jason,

You never cease to amaze me. And, we are fortunate to have you on this forum. You are a great source of information.

Keep it up.

John Paul Jones

Thanks JPJ, on an interesting side note, I missed Charlie on his last tour, it got a big thumbs up by one reviewer, while another totally blasted it, the latter was a real fan of the 1970s material, but kind of lost him in the 1980s, a bit like myself in that respect.
I do like a lot of the Southern Rock thing, and Daniels certainly went for that big rockin' southern sound.. of course not too many of the other bands had fiddlers.

I wish that Charlie Daniels would come for
another tour to Germany. - I'm proud to say that I could play twice with my band THE STETSONS for him to open his show during his Germany tour in '92(?).
You can find a picture on www.thestetsons.com by clicking on the blinking eye on "credentials". We had two(!) steels on stage that time - Steve Smith is picking on this picture and I'm at the flat top...